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Cornwall motoring statistics

How many cars and electric cars are registered in Cornwall, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Cornwall compares with the South West. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.

Last updated
Records analysed
434,265 licensed vehicles in Cornwall
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 319,238 +0.9% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 523 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 8,758 2.7% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.2% 84th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 1,372 235 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.4% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Cornwall?

There were 319,238 licensed cars in Cornwall at the end of March 2026, and 434,265 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 19.0% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 523 for every 1,000 residents, 110th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Cornwall

Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.

Licensed cars and vehicles in Cornwall at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 346,010268,348
2011 349,664271,197
2012 351,913271,921
2013 354,656273,994
2014 360,816278,496
2015 366,552282,499
2016 375,359288,213
2017 384,090293,801
2018 389,318296,348
2019 395,849299,784
2020 400,271303,356
2021 406,308304,953
2022 415,972308,630
2023 420,155310,101
2024 425,279313,269
2025 430,130316,450
2026 434,265319,238

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Licensed vehicles by type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Cars per 1,000 residents

All licensed cars at the end of June, divided by the ONS mid-year population. Company fleets registered locally push this up.

Cars per 1,000 residents at mid-year, Cornwall compared
Year CornwallSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 510524–
2012 509527–
2013 512533–
2014 519541–
2015 521546473
2016 526550480
2017 531565488
2018 533569490
2019 536580493
2020 532573489
2021 540575493
2022 539571489
2023 539570489
2024 541571490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Cornwall

51.2% of cars in Cornwall run on petrol and 39.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 44.6% in 2019. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 5.5%, and cars that plug in 3.9%.

Cars by fuel type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Fuel mix over time

Share of licensed cars at the end of March each year.

Share of licensed cars by fuel type in Cornwall, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 67.2%32.5%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 65.2%34.5%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2012 63.2%36.5%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2013 61.3%38.3%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2014 59.4%40.1%0.2%0.1%0.0%
2015 57.9%41.6%0.2%0.1%0.0%
2016 56.5%43.0%0.3%0.1%0.0%
2017 55.3%44.1%0.3%0.1%0.1%
2018 54.6%44.6%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2019 54.4%44.6%0.6%0.2%0.1%
2020 54.1%44.6%0.7%0.3%0.2%
2021 53.6%44.6%1.0%0.4%0.2%
2022 53.0%44.1%1.5%0.7%0.4%
2023 52.7%43.3%2.1%1.1%0.5%
2024 52.3%42.3%3.0%1.4%0.7%
2025 51.7%40.9%4.1%2.0%0.9%
2026 51.2%39.1%5.5%2.7%1.1%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Cornwall

8,758 battery electric cars were licensed in Cornwall at the end of March 2026, 2.7% of all cars, 69th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 12,404 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 6,412.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.2% are battery electric (6,838 cars), 7th lowest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 21.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.4% of its cars overall. There are also 522 battery electric vans.

Battery electric share of licensed cars

End of March each year. Fleet re-registrations can move a single area’s line sharply.

Battery electric share of licensed cars, Cornwall compared, end of March each year
Year CornwallSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.3%0.4%0.3%
2021 0.4%1.0%0.7%
2022 0.7%2.1%1.3%
2023 1.1%3.2%2.1%
2024 1.4%4.2%3.0%
2025 2.0%5.2%4.1%
2026 2.7%4.9%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Cornwall

There were 1,372 public chargers in Cornwall on 1 July 2026, 264 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 235 for every 100,000 residents, 60th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 5.1% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 7.5 privately kept plug-in cars in Cornwall (UK 11.9), 55th fewest of 361 councils. A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.

Public chargers

Public EV chargers in Cornwall by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 1,305257
Apr 2026 1,331250
Jul 2026 1,372264

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Cornwall compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Cornwall 23545
South West 15750
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Cornwall has 73 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.7% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.3%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Cornwall with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Cornwall 056 4,815 161 3.3% 4.8%
Cornwall 047 7,298 236 3.2% 4.7%
Cornwall 066 7,788 230 3.0% 4.0%
Cornwall 044 3,514 103 2.9% 3.9%
Cornwall 048 6,276 169 2.7% 3.8%
Cornwall 022 4,416 116 2.6% 4.2%
Cornwall 033 4,593 119 2.6% 3.5%
Cornwall 063 3,013 78 2.6% 3.8%
Cornwall 040 6,591 166 2.5% 3.4%
Cornwall 064 5,161 127 2.5% 3.3%
Lowest electric shares
Cornwall 068 2,799 21 0.8% 1.0%
Cornwall 046 4,835 41 0.8% 1.6%
Cornwall 067 4,294 42 1.0% 1.5%
Cornwall 024 5,780 57 1.0% 1.5%
Cornwall 055 4,830 51 1.1% 1.4%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 2 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Cornwall

Vehicles travelled an estimated 3,665 million miles on roads in Cornwall in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Cornwall
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 2,184
1994 2,254
1995 2,299
1996 2,346
1997 2,421
1998 2,456
1999 2,456
2000 2,495
2001 2,586
2002 2,711
2003 2,814
2004 2,834
2005 2,881
2006 2,959
2007 2,960
2008 3,075
2009 3,069
2010 3,058
2011 3,056
2012 3,003
2013 3,007
2014 3,065
2015 3,127
2016 3,288
2017 3,482
2018 3,469
2019 3,553
2020 2,780
2021 3,173
2022 3,389
2023 3,487
2024 3,548
2025 3,665

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Cornwall, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 978221
2022 1,012265
2023 1,000263
2024 941211
2025 920188

Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Cornwall

Unleaded petrol averages 172.8p a litre across 86 filling stations in Cornwall, 1.1p above the UK average. Diesel averages 195.3p, 0.7p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Asda Launceston Express Petrol Launceston 163.9p
  2. Tesco Launceston Superstore Launceston 163.9p
  3. Tesco Camborne Superstore Camborne 165.9p

Every filling station and price in Cornwall

How Cornwall compares

Cornwall compared with the South West, England, the UK
Cornwall 523 2.7% 2.2% 4.4% 235 7.5
South West 506 4.9% 2.6% 9.6% 157 13.3
England 437 5.8% 2.9% 10.6% 173 12.4
United Kingdom4415.4%2.8%9.9%17511.9

Private cars per 1,000 people use the ONS mid-2024 population. Chargers are counted at the latest date; plug-in cars at the end of March 2026.

Councils in the South West

Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.

Councils in the South West
South Gloucestershire 520 19.1% 3.1% 36.8% 162 15.8
Wiltshire 552 8.4% 2.9% 24.1% 117 18.3
Exeter 355 4.5% 2.5% 34.1% 259 5.4
Stroud 585 4.2% 3.8% 3.4% 199 15.6
Tewkesbury 564 4.1% 3.5% 3.7% 157 22.2
Cotswold 602 4.0% 3.4% 3.7% 310 10.6
Bath and North East Somerset 449 3.9% 3.4% 3.4% 90 26.8
North Somerset 546 3.9% 3.2% 4.4% 107 28.4
Cheltenham 464 3.6% 3.0% 3.5% 272 9.4
South Hams 568 3.6% 3.0% 3.8% 145 16.6
Swindon 468 3.5% 2.7% 5.6% 138 16.6
Isles of Scilly 233 3.3% 1.3% 5.0% 676 0.5
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 472 3.1% 2.5% 4.0% 112 17.1
Dorset 571 3.1% 2.6% 3.8% 196 12.0
East Devon 542 3.1% 2.7% 3.4% 200 11.5
Forest of Dean 576 3.1% 2.7% 3.6% 194 11.9
Gloucester 463 3.0% 2.4% 4.5% 149 12.6
Teignbridge 547 3.0% 2.5% 3.7% 147 13.9
Bristol 360 2.8% 2.1% 4.7% 99 15.0
Mid Devon 557 2.8% 2.4% 3.9% 91 22.8
Somerset 555 2.8% 2.4% 3.7% 137 14.6
Cornwall 523 2.7% 2.2% 4.4% 235 7.5
West Devon 561 2.7% 2.4% 3.5% 178 11.7
North Devon 514 2.5% 2.0% 4.2% 208 7.8
Torridge 550 2.4% 2.0% 4.5% 107 15.6
Torbay 467 2.3% 1.8% 4.7% 97 13.6
Plymouth 424 2.1% 1.5% 4.6% 162 6.6

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 434,265 licensed vehicles in Cornwall 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 13,230 plug-in vehicles 15 September 2026
Public chargers Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics Department for Transport 1 July 2026 121,171 public chargers (UK) 15 September 2026
Population Mid-year population estimates Office for National Statistics Mid-2024 404 areas 15 September 2026
Neighbourhoods Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 35,672 small areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales 15 September 2026
  • Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Cornwall run from the end of 2009.
  • Vehicles are counted at the registered keeper’s postcode: for company cars that is the company’s address, not where the car is driven.
  • Battery electric and plug-in counts come from table VEH0142; petrol, diesel and hybrid counts from VEH0105. “Other fuels” is VEH0105’s other-fuel count less plug-in cars.
  • Charger counts are based on Zapmap data and are official statistics in development. In June 2026 one operator removed about 1,270 private chargers wrongly listed as public, so April and July are not strictly comparable.
  • Neighbourhood figures cover England and Wales only; Scottish data zones and Northern Irish super data zones cannot be placed in councils without lookups we do not hold.
How we calculate these figures All data sources

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.